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STATE COLLEGE – Highlights and lowlights from Penn State’s 22-10 win over Wisconsin Saturday at Beaver Stadium:
Play of the game: Penn State running back Miles Sanders gained 23 yards on third-and-7 to the Wisconsin 17 in the second quarter. That set up his 1-yard touchdown run that made it 16-7.
Player of the game (offense): Penn State running back Miles Sanders carried 23 times for 159 yards and one touchdown, topping 1,000 for the season, and caught two passes for 9 yards.
Player of the game (defense): Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos made five tackles, including two for losses and a sack, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
Unsung heroes: Penn State’s defensive backs, who intercepted two passes and limited Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan to 9-of-20 passing for 60 yards.
Best call: Penn State had fourth-and-1 from its 36 in the third quarter when Jonathan Thomas carried the ball on a fake punt and picked up 1 yard.
Worst call: With Penn State leading 22-10, Wisconsin down to one timeout and the clock running, the Lions for some reason sent Miles Sanders in motion as the play clock wound down. Michal Menet’s snap bounced off Sanders and was recovered by Wisconsin with 1:44 to go.
Best run: Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor burst through a hole in the middle of the line for a 71-yard touchdown on the Badgers’ first possession.
Best pass: Penn State’s Trace McSorley threw a strike to wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins for a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Worst pass: Coan badly missed tight end Gabe Lloyd in the second quarter and was intercepted by Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye.
Best catches: Wisconsin’s Jack Dunn and Aaron Cruickshank and Penn State’s DeAndre Thompkins fielded several kicks cleanly with winds gusting up to 35 mph.
Worst drop: Penn State lineman C.J. Thorpe fielded a kickoff and inexplicably tried to run with it before he fumbled. Luckily for Penn State, the Lions’ Thomas recovered.
Best block: Wisconsin guard Michael Deiter bowled over Penn State linebacker Jan Johnson on Taylor’s 71-yard touchdown run.
Best kicks: Penn State’s Jake Pinegar booted field goals of 49 and 42 yards into the wind.
Worst kick: Pinegar shanked an extra point in the second quarter.
Most telling statistic, part I: Penn State had 72 snaps to 57 for Wisconsin.
Most telling statistic, part II: The Lions held the ball for 33:59 compared to 26:01 for the Badgers.
Missing in action: Wisconsin’s passing game.
Missing from action: Penn State wide receiver Juwan Johnson missed his second straight game with an apparent leg injury.
Berks report: Michal Menet (Exeter) started at center for Penn State and played the entire game.
Jan Johnson (Gov. Mifflin) started at middle linebacker for Penn State and made five tackles.
Isaac Lutz (Berks Catholic), a wide receiver for the Lions, played on the kickoff coverage and punt return teams.
Justin Weller (Wilson), another wide receiver, did not play.
By the numbers: 4 – Consecutive wins for Penn State over Wisconsin.
29 – Wins for Trace McSorley, tying him with Todd Blackledge and Tony Sacca for PSU record.
14 – Consecutive winning seasons for the Lions.
16 – Penn State backs who have rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, including Miles Sanders.
10 – Consecutive wins for Penn State over Big Ten West teams.
Did you notice? Jahan Dotson became the first Penn State true freshman to start at wide receiver since Saeed Blacknall in 2014.
Will Fries moved to left tackle and Ryan Bates to right tackle for Penn State, the first time they’ve played those positions since the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.
Penn State freshman Rafael Checa, who did not make the trip to Michigan, resumed his handling of kickoff duties.
On deck: Penn State (4-3 Big Ten, 7-3) at Rutgers (0-7, 1-9), time TBA, Saturday, TV-TBA, WEEU-AM/830.
Contact Rich Scarcella: 610-371-5070 or [email protected].
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